


Beside You

by orphan_account



Series: Crystal Ball AU [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ben is their son, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Peter and Tony are married, Peter has a miscarriage, Peter is in his 20's, Pregnant Peter Parker, THIS STORY IS SAD, Tessa is also in this, Tony's POV, and comforts Peter, because she's a good pup, but it gets better with the next part of the series, just... read 'Crystal Ball' before you read this, otherwise you're gonna be confused, pregnancy loss, so proceed with caution, so this is BEFORE 'Crazy in Love', there's a fair amount of detail about the miscarriage, which I accidentally posted first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:01:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22587562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tony really didn’t gather much. Except the words ‘miscarriage’ and ‘there would be nothing we can do.'Everything else was like white noise. Tony was sure the phone nurse was saying something important but he couldn’t focus on it. Managing to force himself to look up at Peter again. He looked like he was absorbing the information just as well as Tony. Silent tears dripping off of his chin and eyes unfocused, staring at nothing and just clutching onto the cellphone while the nurse kept talking.“Th-Thank you,” Peter managed thickly once she was done, a small hiccuped sob forcing its way out despite how hard Peter tried to stop it. He hung up in the middle of the nurse asking if they had any questions but Tony didn’t blame him as he dissolved into painful sobs. He was impressed that Peter even managed a response, let alone saying ‘thank you’ to the woman that told them they were losing their baby.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Series: Crystal Ball AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592176
Comments: 10
Kudos: 110





	Beside You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I meant to post this BEFORE 'Crazy in Love' but I'm stupid and forgot. So it's a little out of order. This is set like a year or two BEFORE 'Crazy in Love'. 
> 
> Also please proceed with caution. Peter has a miscarriage and it gets descriptive. I wouldn't say 'graphic' per se. But like... there's blood that's talked about. And yeah. 
> 
> So be careful. This isn't a very happy one. But it gets better as you all know lol. 
> 
> I hope you guys like it despite how sad it is. Leave a comment if you liked it and would like to see a sequel (which is in the works btw)!

“You feeling okay, babe?” Tony asked concernedly as Peter shuffled into the kitchen looking absolutely miserable and closely followed by Tessa.

Peter just shook his head - though that answer was pretty damn obvious. He paused gripping the counter and swaying a little. Tony dropped the little plastic spoon he was using to help feed Ben with (he really tried to let Ben feed himself but the kid was just smushing the cereal around and none of it was going in his mouth) and instantly was at Peter’s side supporting him. 

“I’ll be okay,” Peter muttered, but from the raspy tone of his voice, Tony had to assume that he’d spent some quality time with the toilet earlier. “Just… need some water and um…” Peter leaned heavily against Tony, clinging onto him and resting his forehead against Tony’s shoulder. “You’re warm,” he muttered.

“I’ll bring you some water. Go lay back down,” Tony said, kissing the top of Peter’s head. He didn’t _feel_ like he had a fever. But he was shivering and swaying and obviously had been vomiting.

Not that the vomiting was much of a surprise. The morning sickness was kicking Peter’s ass this time around. Then again, Tony wasn’t conscious for most of the early stages of Peter’s pregnancy with Ben so he really had nothing to go on there. 

Peter groaned softly, one arm wrapping tight around his stomach, the other hand still clutching at the back of Tony’s shirt. “Hurts,” he whimpered. 

Tony’s frown deepened and he rubbed soothing circles over Peter’s back. He could hear little giggles coming from the 2-year-old and was certain Ben was making a mess but that didn’t matter right now. Ben obviously wasn’t in distress and Tony could clean up some mushy cereal. 

Tony was about to say something when Peter abruptly pulled away with a muffled gag and a hand went to press against his mouth, giving Tony a panicked look. 

“Sink, babe, aim for the sink,” Tony said urgently as he steered Peter around by the shoulders. Tony grimaced and bit back a few gags of his own as Peter retched and heaved over the sink. At least it was all liquid. Still… Tony was debating whether he wanted to bleach the plates and silverware in there or just get new ones.

It’s not like they were pressed for money. He’d buy new ones.

Thankfully, Peter had enough sense in him to rinse down the sink despite being so sick and, call Tony a terrible husband, he was going to let him. “Okay. You. In bed. Now,” Tony said when Peter was done, using his ‘dad voice’ as Peter affectionately called it. “I’ll bring you some water and saltines and… a bucket. I want you to rest as much as you can today - I think I can handle Ben.”

With some incoherent grumbling, Peter shuffled back towards the hallway. “Tess, go keep an eye on him,” Tony said with a pat to the dog’s head. And, as if she understood, she followed Peter into the bedroom. Once content that Peter wasn’t alone, Tony turned to look back at...

“Oh my God,” Tony groaned. The kid was _soaked_ in milk, cereal everywhere - including in his hair - and apple juice dripping onto the floor. “Okay. Breakfast time is over,” he declared as he grabbed a roll of paper towel and set the bowl and cup - he had no idea where the spoon went - into the clean side of the sink. 

The toddler giggling about making a mess and squirming the whole time made it way more difficult than it should have been to clean everything up.

“This isn’t funny, Benny. This is bad. So so bad, baby boy. Making a mess like this. I’m gonna start making you clean your own messes up - then you won’t think it’s so funny,” Tony scoffed affectionately. 

Ben just stared at him and giggled. “Can I have juice?” he asked and Tony was torn between wanting to praise Ben for using a full sentence or wanting to scold him for dumping all of his juice everywhere in the first place.

“ _After_ a bath. And it’s going in a sippy cup,” Tony warned. They’d been trying to teach him to use normal cups but he’d lost that privilege for the day. At least while Peter was so sick. 

Tony get Ben cleaned as quickly as possible. And maybe Tony wasn't scoring many good Dad points right now but he sat Ben in front of the TV with a sippy cup and goldfish crackers and promptly called May to come pick Ben up for a little bit. He wanted to be able to focus on Peter right now. Something just seemed… off. And if it got worse he wanted to be able to take Peter in to the doctor without having to worry about wrangling a toddler, too.

Thankfully, May didn’t have anything going on today and was able to get out there soon - well, soon being relative when they live tucked back from everything and an hour away from everyone. 

Once May was on her way with Ben and a promise from Tony that he’d keep her updated, Tony grabbed Peter some more water and went back to their room. He wasn’t surprised to see Tessa curled up as close as she could get to Peter. She’d been incredibly clingy and protective of Peter ever since he got pregnant - even before _they_ knew he was pregnant. Even going so far as to sleeping between Tony and Peter and - once or twice - nearly kicking Tony off of the bed. 

Tony wanted to lock Tessa out of their room. Peter didn’t, though. So they compromised and Tessa slept with them every night. 

Really, how could Tony even argue? Poor Peter’s been so hormonal and not to mention so sick. 

“Hey, Pete, sweetheart. You doing okay?” Tony asked, though he already knew the answer to that question. He set the water down and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching over Tessa to smooth down Peter’s messy hair. 

Peter just made a little pained noise and leaned into the touch. “Hurts,” he muttered. 

“Hurts? Where does it hurt, baby?” Tony frowned. 

“My stomach,” Peter groaned, resting his head against Tessa’s shoulder and staring up at Tony. “‘S cramping,” he muttered. As if that was supposed to make Tony feel better.

“Maybe we should call your doctor,” Tony suggested. “You’re looking really pale, honey.”

Peter huffed but didn’t argue, so Tony handed him his cellphone from the table - Peter would be able to explain it better - and just sat nearby while Peter talked to the doctors office.

They got Peter an appointment for tomorrow morning and told them to call back if Peter started to bleed excessively. What ‘excessively’ meant, they had no idea. Tony thought that any bleeding at this point would be ‘excessive’. 

“Try to drink some water,” Tony urged after Peter hung up. “Then we can lie down together and I’ll rub your back and maybe you can rest a little.”

Peter frowned, grumbling about the water even as he sat up a little and took a few sips at Tony’s insistence. Tony managed to coax him into eating a couple saltines, too despite Peter’s protests.

Not that any of that stayed down for long.

Tony had just laid down and started to rub Peter’s back when the younger man scrambled out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. Tony winced when he heard the gagging and retching that followed. It sounded _painful._

This time Tessa didn’t follow and Tony didn’t blame her. He did, however, get up to go check on Peter when he didn’t come back after a couple minutes passed in silence. “Babe…?” Tony called out as he paused outside the bathroom door. “Can I come in?” he asked, the door wasn’t completely shut but he wanted to make sure. 

“U-Um… Yeah, y-yeah,” Peter said back, voice raw and shaky and… was he crying?

Well it wasn’t hard to figure out why and it wasn’t a pretty image by any means. Peter now sitting on the toilet. Thighs covered in blood. The sweats he was wearing also stained red. 

Tony swallowed thickly, mind going unhelpfully blank as it tried to work through what he was seeing. 

That was… a lot of blood. And it was coming from Peter. Peter - who has been having bad stomach cramps all day. And couldn’t even hold down water. And was pregnant.

He shouldn’t be bleeding like that. 

Maybe if he had just had the baby. He bled a lot after giving birth to Ben. But he was only 9 weeks along right now.

This was… not normal.

“...Tony…?” 

Peter’s shaky voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he blinked a few times to get his eyes to focus.

“Can you get my phone for me?” Peter asked in a way that told Tony he’s asked that question at least twice already.

“Um. Yeah. Yeah, on it,” Tony muttered, going to grab Peter’s phone and dialing the doctor’s number and putting it on speaker before handing it over. He leaned against the doorway, not looking at Peter even as he listened to the phone call. 

Tony really didn’t gather much. Except the words ‘miscarriage’ and ‘there would be nothing we can do’. 

Everything else was like white noise. Tony was sure the nurse was saying something important but he couldn’t focus on it. Managing to force himself to look up at Peter again. He looked like he was absorbing the information just as well as Tony. Silent tears dripping off of his chin and eyes unfocused, staring at nothing as the phone nurse kept talking.

“Th-Thank you,” Peter managed thickly once she was done, a small hiccuped sob forcing its way out despite how hard Peter tried to stop it. He hung up in the middle of the nurse asking if they had any questions but Tony didn’t blame him as he dissolved into painful sobs. He was impressed that Peter even managed a response, let alone saying ‘thank you’ to the woman that told them they were losing their baby.

Not that it was her fault.

“...Sweetheart?” Tony said gently after a few moments, reaching out with his flesh hand to smooth down Peter’s hair and cup his cheek. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked, pushing down his own despair and grief and forcing himself to be present.

Peter needed him right now.

“U-um… C-Call a-and… a-and tell May? A-ask if - if she can… um - if she can keep Ben f-for… I-I don’t know… T-Tomorrow?” Peter managed between miserable little hiccups. 

At least they hadn’t told many people.

Really just May and Pepper. 

“I can do that, baby. If she can’t, I’ll find someone. Pepper or Steve and Bucky or - Someone, I’m sure someone can,” Tony said, regretfully pulling his hand away from Peter and stepping out of the bathroom.

Honestly, walking away from his husband when he was so upset hurt Tony more than anything else and went against all of his instincts. But he had calls to make and he was sure that Peter wouldn’t want everyone to hear him falling apart in the background. 

He heard the shower start up just before May answered.

“Hey, what’s up?” May answered and Tony sucked in a shaky breath.

How the hell was he supposed to tell her this? “H-Hey. Um… Can you - Can you watch Ben for a little longer? Overnight…? Um… Maybe through tomorrow?”

“Uh - Yeah, yeah. Why? What’s wrong?” May asked. “Is there something wrong with Peter? Please, Tony, tell me Peter’s okay.”

Tony hesitated - not sure how to answer that. “...He will be. I think. Um. He’s not like - physically he’s - We lost the baby,” Tony managed and actually speaking it - saying those words out loud - felt like a bullet to the heart. 

The gasp from the other end of the phone didn’t help. “Oh no… Oh, Tony, I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Besides watching Ben? My work has like a nursery/daycare thing. I can keep him for a few days if you guys need me to. I’ll just need to pick up some more clothes for him and -”

“May,” Tony said - cutting her off as gently as he could. “I’ll talk to Peter. But I should - I should get back to him. And… We’ll let you know,” he said, sniffling softly and rubbing the tears away from his face. 

“Okay,” May said, her voice soaked in sympathy. “Just call if you need anything,” she said.

“Thank you, May. We will,” Tony promised before hanging up. 

He took a minute to compose himself, looking down when he felt Tessa brush up against his leg. “Hey, Tess,” he muttered, leaning down to pet her and unable to help a small smile when she nuzzled against his hand. “Let’s go see how Peter’s doing.”

Tony took just a few more seconds to pet Tessa before he slowly forced himself to go back into the bathroom. Peter was in the shower but Tony could hear his sobbing even over the sound of the water and it broke Tony’s heart into pieces.

He distracted himself by throwing Peter’s sweatpants into the wash and grabbing him a clean pair and then, regretfully, cleaning up the blood that had stained the floor and toilet. 

Tony wasn’t going to make Peter do that and so long as Tony was doing something he could distract himself from thinking about what was happening. 

“Pete, baby, I got you some clean clothes. They’re on the sink counter for you. Do you need anything else?” Tony called out.

“N-No,” Peter managed back.

“Okay. Just yell if you need me,” Tony said before he shuffled out of the bathroom. 

He distracted himself with anything he could find. Folded laundry. Cleaned the sink. Picked up and organized Ben’s toys that were strewn about the living room. 

Once Tony was out of things to clean he doubled back around to find Peter curled up in bed again - Tessa pressed close. His face all puffy and his eyes red from crying. 

Tony just joined him, rubbing his hand up and down Peter’s arm - just feeling the need to touch him. “We’ll make it through this,” he promised, pressing a few gentle kisses to the back of Peter’s neck. “I’m right here, baby, anything you need I’ll get it for you. _Anything_. Even if I have to put the suit on and fly halfway around the world to get it.”

“Uh uh,” Peter muttered, shuffling back a little to press himself closer to Tony. “Need you. Here,” he rasped. 

“I can do that,” Tony said, holding Peter tight and feeling Tessa also shuffle closer on the other side.

\---

The doctors couldn’t figure out what caused it. Told them that sometimes there wasn’t a reason. That miscarriages just… happen.

Tony didn’t like that answer but it’s not like he had any room to argue. It happened. It was done. They were back to square one. Not that they had really been trying that hard anyways. They hadn’t talked to a fertility specialist, Peter hadn’t started on any hormones, they had just gotten lucky - again. 

Well… not so lucky now.

They were told that there might be some lingering bleeding for a while and Peter was glad that he had for some reason never thrown away the extra pads he had from after having Ben. 

Nothing felt real for a good week and a half. May kept Ben for two days at Peter’s request but they were both happy to see their son again. 

Once Peter was cleared to have sex and start trying for a baby again, they set up an appointment at a fertility clinic

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you liked it! <3 <3


End file.
